Amerigo Vespucci

Amerigo Vespucci was born on March 9, 1454.

Vesupucci was born in Italy but became a Spanish explorer. He is very well known for proving to the Europeans that the New World wasn't another part of Asia but actually a new continent. Throughout his life, he supposedly made four voyages. However, only the second and third voyages are fully confirmed to have happened. During those two, Amerigo went to Hispaniola, Cape Verde, South America, and India.

He died on February 22, 1512, at age 57. He was the man America was named after. (The Latin way to say his name is "Americus", which is what America is derived from.)